Amateurs now conduct most weddings. Here is some basic advice

Ryan Benk and Ryan Ricciardi are married by their friend Cesar Garcia this year. Christopher Di Ruggiero

Christopher Di Ruggiero

Gone is the traditional wedding officiated only by a rabbi, a priest, an imam, a pastor or an archbishop.

In a recent survey by the wedding website The Knot, 67% of couples are getting married by a friend. The share has skyrocketed since 2009, when The Knot started tracking who officiates weddings. That year, 27%